Bartenders fined for serving ‘comatose’ footballer later found dead

Two bartenders have been fined for serving alcohol to an “essentially comatose” footballer who was later found dead in a hotel room.

Two bartenders have been fined for serving a “comatose” customer who was later found dead

CCTV footage showed B-grade footballer Jason Short swaying, staggering, dancing in a “disinhibited manner”, hardly capable of standing up straight and sitting on a bench “essentially comatose” over a four-and-a-half hour period, a magistrate found.

According to reports by the Daily Mail, Short was later discovered dead in a bedroom at the Kingston Crown inn Hotel, southeast of Adelaide, following the heavy drinking session on 30 April 2011.

However, a doctor was unable to conclude the cause of death, but suspected it may have been resultant of the high levels of alcohol in Short’s blood in combination with medication he was taking for mental health issues.

Bartenders Alison Louise Selleck, 21, Tom Gardner, 32, and Firstlite Pty Ltd, the holder of the hotel’s licence, were found guilty of supplying alcohol to Short when he was noticeably under the influence of alcohol.

Last week magistrate Paul Foley slapped a AU$500 fine on Selleck, but did not record a conviction citing she was just 18-years-old when the incident occurred and is “well-regarded” in the community.

Gardner and Firstlite both had convictions recorded against them and were fined AU$9,000 and AU$6,000 respectively.

“Mr Gardner, your role in what happened was quite different to Ms Selleck,” said Foley.

“You were the person with specific responsibility of ensuring compliance with the Liquor Licence Act.”